1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to medical connectors, and more specifically, to a medical connector for nasally administering or removing a substance from a patient's stomach.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a patient cannot receive medication and food orally, a nasal gastric tube may be employed for introducing medication and food into the stomach. Nasal gastric tubes may also be used for withdrawing substances from a patient's stomach. Such tubes comprise a flexible plastic material which comes in various diameters depending upon the size of the patient and the nature of the substance to be passed through the tube. The tube is fed through the patient's nose, down the esophagus and into the patient's stomach, while taking care not to insert the tube into the patient's lungs. A portion of the tube extends out of the patient's nostril and terminates at a point remote therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,562 to Lopez, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a medical connector for attachment to the end of a nasal gastric tube. The medical connector comprises three passageways having entrance and exit ports. A stop-cock type valve is disposed at the convergence of the passageways such that different combinations of the passageways may be connected in fluid communication. Various types of medical devices may be attached to the medical connector, such as syringes, syringe pumps, and/or collection bags, for administering or removing substances to or from the patient's stomach.
For example, in one embodiment disclosed in the '562 patent, the first passageway is in fluid communication with a syringe pump for administering or removing a substance to or from the patient's stomach, the second passageway is in fluid communication with a syringe for applying medication, and the third passageway is in fluid communication with the nasal gastric tube. In a first valve position, the second and third passageways are in fluid communication so as to allow the flow of substances into the patient. The syringe connected to the second passageway may contain medication or wash-out fluid for cleaning toxic contaminants from the patient's stomach. In a second position, the passageway to the syringe is blocked and the first and third passageways are in fluid communication so that food may be pumped into the patient or substances may be pumped from the patient's stomach.
In the course of such medical procedures, one or more of the components of the stomach-pumping system may be temporarily detached. During these periods of detachment, there is a risk of contamination of the medical connector from outside sources and/or a risk that the contents of the connector may drip out and contaminate other devices or persons. A patient undergoing nasal administration of food or medication may be especially susceptible to infection, and care must be taken to maintain devices in contact with the patient as sterile as possible. Moreover, substances that must be removed from a patient's stomach generally have inherently dangerous chemical or biological properties and could cause harm to others after they are withdrawn. Thus, there is a need for a medical connector in a stomach-pumping system with openings that can be conveniently and repeatedly sealed off during periods of detachment from other components.